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H. 0. SHORT.

LANDING AND LAUNCHING DEVICE FOR FLOATING STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 22. I919.

1,820,180. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

4 H S EETS SHEETI 'rm: coummn vmwnammn cb.. WASHINGTON, m c.

H. 0. SHORT.

moms AND LAUNCHING DEVICE FOR momma STRUCTURES.

I I APPLICATION FILED MAR, 22. 1919. 1,0,18, Patented Oct. 28,1919.

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H. O. SHORE LANDING AND LAUNCHING DEVICE FOR FLOATING STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION mu) MAR. 22. 1919.

1,820,180., Patented Oct. 28,1919.

4 SHEETS-*SHEET 3.

r H. 0. SHORT.

LANDING AND LAUNCHING DEVICE FOR F LOATING STRUCTURES.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1919.

Patented Oct. 28,1919.

smmm HUeHoswALnsHonT, or ROCHESTER}, KENT, ENGLAND.

, LANDING AND LAUNCHING, nnvicnroa FLOATING STRUCTURES.

Application filed =M3Icl1 22, 1919. Serial no. 284,422.

To all whom it may concern: i a m Be it known that I, HUGH OSWALD SHORT, a subject of the King of Great'Britain, residing at Rochester, Kent, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements lnLanding and Launching Devices for Floating Structures; particularly adaptedfor landing, launching, or loading hydroaeroplane flyingmachines or flyingboats, of which the following is a specification.

In launching or landing hydroaeroplane fiying nachmes or flying boats as at present ,or boat,,hereafter termed the machine, is

floated to above the trolley, and the sides of the latter are secured to the hull or floats of. the machine so that when the trolley is traversed shoreward thema'chine is brought to land. Certain disadvantages are however incident to such an arrangement, inthat for instance it is necessary for the attendants to enterthe water to bring the trolley into. position and secure it to the machine, which proceeding occupies a considerable time and is dangerous. a

Moreoverit would frequently be conven m 1s a causeway 4: extending at an inclination ient for the purpose ofloading or otherwise giving attention to the machine if such operations oould becarried out Without it being necessary to bring the machine entirely, ashore." i

Now ,the'object of the present invention isto provide a structure connected with the shore which will obviate the necessity of attendants entering the water for the purpose of securing the machine to the trolley and which structure will provide a floating platform or platforms upon which the attendants may stand not only for the purpose of securing the machine to the trolley but also forloadingand otherwise attending to the machine; and suchplatform or platforms can further be utilized by being partially submerged to permita machine to be floated over said platform and the platformthen' caused to'rise and lift the machine from the water and the necessary operations having been carried out the platform or platforms can again be submerged by mechanical ac tion-and the machine floated from olf same.

j the rails.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

The'inven'tion will be described further with reference to the accompanying, drawings.

Figure l. is a plan view showing an arrangement of a central slipway having four ralls to carry a trolley or trolleys and having a causeway on each side ofthe said slipway forming guides to laterally located pontoons.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing one of the pontoons with a trailing gangway or footway for attendants to pass from the pontoon to the shore.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section, showing the pontoon.

Fig. 5 is "a transverse section showing a machine mounted on trolleys on the slipway, the machine in this instance being a twin flying boat.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 the inclined slipway I, extending at a downward inclination from the shore to the requisite distance beneath the water, is fitted with rails to carry a trolley or trolleys, two of wl11ch trolleys marked 3 are shown on the rails 2 at Fig. 5, and suitable means are proi vided, not forming part of this invention, by

which the trolleys 3 can be traversed upon At a distance on each side of the sli-pway corresponding to the shore into the water for a suflicient distance and the causeway carries rails 5.

Each rail 5 supports a sliding carriage 6, Fig; 2, 3 and 4, which carriage 6 is fitted with wheels 7 bearing on the interior upper, or lower surfaces of the box section rails 5, Fig. 4, lateral wheels 8 being fitted to the carriage 6 to bear against the inturned edges of the box shaped rails, the carriage 6 as shown being of I section.

Tothe shore or inner end of the carriage 6, at 9 a pontoon 10 is pivoted, and the outer end'of the pontoon 10 and the outer end of the carriage 6 are connected by a flexible or elastic connection-11.

Hinged 0r pivoted at 12 to the shore end ofthepontoon,is a trailing gangway 12, see Fig. 2, extending to the shore and .resting upon the causeway 4, see particularly toon 10 is hinged, would rise or descen'd as the water level varied, and this action might take place practically automatically, but it is obvious that where the inclination is not sufficient or other circumstances obtain, the

carriage 6 could be moved by suitable me chanical means, on the rails 5 so that the pontoon 10 was always maintained afloat.

Obviously the invention is not limited to a definite construction of any one'particular part but at Figs. 3, and 4, a construction is shown inwhich the pontoons are built up of lattice girders which support a deck 13, and mounted within the girder framework are cylindrical air containing chambers 14 A. suitable motive power engine, not shown, can be carried for instance on the deck 13, to pump air into a suitable air pressure reservoir, which can be caused to com municate with the cylindrical chambers 14: controllable by suitable valves or cocks, and the chambers ll may have apertures in their bases, so that by allowing of the exit of air from the pontoons, the platform or deck 13 can be permitted to become submerged, and can again be floated by closing the air-exits from the chambers or floats 14: and admitting thereto compressed air from the air pressure reservoir to cause the water to leave the chambers 14: by apertures in the bases or lower parts thereof.

WVith such a structure as described a trolley or trolleys, such as 3, Fig. 5, can be traversed down the rails 52 of the slipway, to between the pontoons 10, so that a machine can be brought up alongside the floating pontoon, or between the pontoons 10, the wings of the machine such as that shown at Fig. 5 extending over the pontoon decks 13 so that the hull or hulls or floats are brought within-reach, and the sides of the trolley can then be fixed to the machine by attendants while standing on the pontoon decks 13, so that the machine can be brought out upon the trolley or trolleys 3 and this with out it being necessary for the attendants to enter the water. Moreover machines can be floated alongside the floating platforms or pontoons for the purpose of loading or receiving other attention.

The floating pontoons are as aforesaid supported in the water by air containers or chambers 14c Fig. 3 into which water can be admitted aforesaid to cause the outer end of a pontoon to become more or less submerged, the said pontoon turning on the hinges 9 by which it is secured at the shore end to the carriage 6, and when in this posiloading the under part of the machine in any desired manner. I

By fitting the slipway with four rails 2, at equal distance apart either two trolleys 3, may be employed as at Fig. 5, or only one of the said trolleys as a't'that figure, may be used, or a trolley of greater width may be carried of which the wheels bear upon an outer rail of one pair and an inner rail of the other pair.

That I claim as my invention anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A landing and launching device for floating structures comprising in combina- I tion an inclined slipway extending to a sufficient distance beneath the water level, rails on the slipway, wheeled trolleys to run on said rails upon which trolleys a flying machine is to be carried, an inclined rail-carrying causeway or causeways on one or both sides of said slipway, a carriage to slide on said rails of each causeway, afloating pontoon, means for hinging the shore end of said pontoon to the shore end of said carriage to carry the attendants while securing said flying machine to said trolley or trolleys, and a trailing gangway pivotally connected to the shore end of the pontoon and resting with its opposite end on the said causeway to form a platform forthe passage of the attendants to and from said pontoon. p

2. A landing and launching device for floating structures; comprising in combinafriction wheels'mounted on said carriage,

rails mounted on said causeway said rails being of a sectionto be engaged 'by'said Wheels of said carri-ageto hold said carriage to said rails, a floating pontoon, means for hinging the shore end of said pontoon to the shore end of said carriage, a trailing gangway, and means to pivotally connect said gangway to the shore end of th pontoon to permit the shore end of said gangway to rest on said causeway. y

3. A landing and launching device for floating structures; comprising in, combination an inclined slipway extending to a sufficient distance beneath the waterlevel, rails on the slipway, wheeled trolleys on said rails upon which trolleys a flying machine is to be carried, an inclined causeway on each side of said slipway extending beneath the water level, a carriage for each causeway, antifriction wheels mounted on said carriage, rails mounted on said causeway said rails being of a section to be engaged by said wheels of said carriage to hold said carriage to said rails, a floating pontoon, means for hinging the shore end of said pontoon to the shore end of said carriage, a flexible connection to connect the outer floating end of said pontoon to the outer end of said carriage, a trailing. gangway, and means for pivotally connecting said ganglway to the shore end of the pontoon to permit the shore end of said gangway to rest on said causeway.

4. A'landing and launching device for floating structures; comprising in combination an inclined slipway extending to a sufficient distance beneath the water level, rails on the slipway, wheeled trolleys on said rails upon which trolleys a flying machine is to be carried, an inclined causeway on each side of said slipway extending beneath the water level, a carriage for each causeway, antifriction wheels mounted on said carriage, rails mounted on said causeway said rails being of a section to be engaged by said Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the wheels of said carriage to hold said carriage to said rails, a floating pontoon, meansfor hinging the shor end of said pontoon to the shore end of said carriage, a flexible connection to connect the outer end of said pontoon to the outer end of said carriage, air containing float chambers in said pontoon, means for admitting Water to or expelling water from said float chambers to submerge the outer end of said pontoon or to cause said outer end to float, a trailing lgangway, and means to pivotally connect said gangway to the shore end of the pontoon to permit the shore end of said gangway to rest on said causeway.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HUGH OSWALD SHORT.

l/Vitnesses:

GEORGE FREDERICK GRAY, KENNETH REDFERN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

